INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Our life in Christ should be a joy; it should be a life transforming experience. One of the exciting parts of belonging to Jesus is experiencing the transformation into the image of the one we love and serve!
• Each day belonging to Jesus can be and is an adventure.
• When we gather together each week I pray that we are encouraging one another to grow in Christ.
• In the Colossian church there was a problem. There was a group of false teachers who were coming into the church to try to steal the freedom and joy one would normally experience in Christ by trying to make people adopt things that really have little to nothing to with growing in Christ.
• Have you had a day when you could feel to joy of the Lord only to have Donna Downer and Jack the Joy Ripper come in and try to steal your joy?
• The issues that the church at Colossae faced are some of the same issues we struggle with today.
• Our struggles sometimes come from those within the church who have misunderstood with it means to be a Christian and we also have those outside of the church who can try to cause us damage.
• Paul launched a full out assault on the false teachings.
• In verse verses 2:8-10 we have covered worldly philosophies and damage these philosophies can do to ones’ faith if adhered to.
• In verses 11-15 the sufficiency of Jesus is dealt with. Reminding us that IN CHRIST we have everything!
• In the text today the issues of legalism, subjective experience, and self-denial are under assault by Paul.
• When we get caught in any or all of these issues we will lose our joy and adhering to any or all of these issues will not allow us experience the joy of transformation!
• When we substitute Jesus for legalism. Subjective experience or behavior modification our transformation is in jeopardy.
• Let’s begin by turning to verse 16-17
• SLIDE #2
• Colossians 2:16–17 (ESV) Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Jesus was the focus of the Law. (16-17)
• The church was struggling in part because there were people trying to get them to revert to their former way of life in Judaism.
• Right after we are told of all the blessing we have BECAUSE of Jesus, Pal reminds the readers and he also reaches out to us by reminding us not to let anyone act as our judge concerning following what THEY think we ought to be living and practicing our faith.
• In a sense the principle being conveyed here is do not sacrifice your freedom in Christ for a set of man-made rules.
• The issue of legalism can stop our transformation process because we trade our freedom in Christ for man-made religious activity.
• SLIDE #4
• Romans 10:4 (ESV) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
• All the items in verse 16 refer to aspects of the Old Testament Law that we examined last week and saw that the Law is not the standard by which we are judged today, the Law was fulfilled in Christ as it was nailed to the cross.
• SLIDE #5
• Galatians 5:1 (ESV) For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
• Many of the Jews of the day and even today found their comfort in legalism; this is why 10 Commandments can turn into over 600 plus laws.
• To bring this into today’s world, we may not struggle with being told to go back to the Old Testament Law, however; as we have said before, many people think they are good with God because they somewhat follow what they consider the more important of the 10 Commandments.
• Why is being legalistic fruitless?
• Look at verse 17 again.
• These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
• Rule keeping is just a shadow; there is no real spiritual substance to making rule keeping the center of your faith.
• A shadow has no reality; the reality is what makes the shadow. Jesus Christ is the reality to which the shadows pointed.
• We should do what we do because we love Jesus; Jesus needs to be our focus.
• And to the title of this point, Jesus was the focus of the Law; this is why Jesus fulfilled the Law.
• ALL the Messianic prophecies were about HIM.
• Remember this verse…
• SLIDE #6
• Galatians 3:24 (ESV) So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
• John MacArthur Jr. in his commentary on Colossians states the following truth:
• Legalism is useless because it cannot restrain the flesh. It is also dangerously deceptive, because inwardly rebellious and disobedient Christians, or even non-Christians, can conform to a set of external performance standards or rituals.
MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Colossians and Philemon.
• In Mark 7, Jesus deals with the issue of the heart.
• SLIDE #7
• Mark 7:14–15 (ESV) And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
• Jesus HAS to be our substance if we want to experience the joy of transformation!
• REAL TRANSFORMATION DOES NOT HAPPEN BY MERELY KEEPING EXTERNAL RULES, IT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE AN INNER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!
•
• The Law is not the standard by which we are saved, it is by GRACE!
• Let’s turn to verses 18-19
• SLIDE #8
• Colossians 2:18–19 (ESV) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
• SLIDE #9
II. A focus on subjective experiences will keep us from transforming. (18-19)
• Paul continues by pleading with us not to allow our freedom to be taken captive by asceticism; which is the issue of self-denial or by focusing on subjective experiences.
• The focus of this boils down to mysticism which is defined as the pursuit of a deeper or higher subjective religious experience.
• Some were trying to convince others that they were missing something in their faith because they were not experiencing the visions they were.
• And if others around you are telling you that you are missing something and they are relaying to you these awesome sounding experiences, it could make you feel cheated.
• The problem with subjective experience is that you have nothing concrete to base your experience on.
• It is like dreaming that you are falling, the experience seemed real, but it was not.
• It was a dream.
• In Christ we have all we need; we do not need subjective experiences to complete us in Christ.
• When we continue to seek the high of subjective experiences, we will stop seeking Jesus and then our transformation will stop.
• You have heard of adrenalin junkies? I know Christians we are always looking for a spiritual high, a subjective experience; there are whole churches whose focus is to create a subjective experience for you.
• The self-denial was done as it generated a false sense of pride; it was done to show OTHERS how holy the person was.
• There is a tendency in human nature to move from objectivity to subjectivity—to shift the focus from Christ to experience. This has always intimidated weak believers and threatened the church.
• Our text reminds us that when we take our focus off of Jesus, we will hurt our growth.
• This is what verse 19 spells out for us.
• and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
• When we get puffed up with our own wisdom, we then start to make up our own ways to serve God and we lose touch with Jesus who is the Head from which the whole body is nourished.
• When we all are striving to be transformed by Jesus instead of seeking our own subjective experiences God will cause the body of Christ to grow!
• Let’s look at verses 20-23 together.
• SLIDE #10
• Colossians 2:20–23 (ESV) 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
• SLIDE #11
III. A focus on outward actions will keep us from transforming. (20-23)
• When we are in union with Christ, we are set free from man-made rules designed to promote spirituality.
• When we are buried with Christ and raised with Him in baptism we are called to be different, we are a new creation!
• We are called to grow spiritually but to do that we have to get past the elementary spirits of the world.
• These spirits try to tell us that if we look good on the outside then we are good on the inside.
• Man has devised many ways to try to look good on the outside.
• Just modifying ones’ behavior will not transform us into the image of Jesus.
• The Pharisees were good at looking good on the outside, but being a true mess on the inside.
• In Matthew 23, Jesus elaborates…
• SLIDE #12
• Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
• Self-denial as a self-imposed form of spirituality is all about appearance, it looks righteous but it really is not.
• Our faith is about or relationship with Jesus, it is not about impressing other people. God knows the heart.
• SLIDE #13
• Matthew 6:16–18 (ESV) “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
• When we focus on trying to look good for others, we will stop transforming into the image of Christ because we feel a false sense of security; we do not think we need to grow in Christ because if we live to the standard we set for ourselves, then we would not need any more growth.
• The religious leaders of Jesus day fought this and to this day we do the same if we are not careful.
CONCLUSION
• Our faith is not about legalism, subjective experiences, or seeking the daily spiritual adrenaline highs, nor is it about looking good on the outside.
• It is about our relationship with Jesus, it is about letting Jesus transform us into His image each and every day!
• When we focus on Jesus, life changes, we grow and others want what we have in Christ!
